Tip of the Day: Get rid of roof algae, which can damage shingles

Rooftop gardens have been touted as a type of cool roof that can help reduce energy use and costs. But one plant life you don't want to see on your roof is Gloeocapsa magma, a blackish algae that thrives on moisture seems to have an affinity for material used in some roofing products. When left unchecked, it can damage shingles.

This algae creeps its way upward on roofs, gradually turning shingles dark brown or black. It's easy to spot along some east-west streets with lots of trees, and sometimes it's present house after house.

My wife and I recently noticed Gloeocapsa magma algae on our 10-plus-year-old roof (shown), as well as lichens, which look like greenish-white splotches made with a paintbrush. Fortunately, we didn't have any other growth, such as moss, which can dig in beneath the shingles and upgrade the buildup from two- to three-dimensional.

I looked into some DIY solutions to eliminate the algae, such as oxygen bleach. But the safer, more-prudent move—especially with bursitis in one of my shoulders—was to hire a pro who'd do the job at a reasonable price and not use the chlorine-bleach solution the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association recommends (PDF), which can damage vegetation around the house. (Note: If plants and grass are watered before applying the bleach solution and if the bleach solution is applied correctly, vegetation shouldn't be harmed by the cleaning.)

Pricing for a good roof cleaning, according to Baltimore's My Clean Roof, is based on many factors, including roof height, roof pitch and angles (not all roofs are walkable), and the algae species involved. We got a wide range of cleaning quotes, from a few hundred dollars up to $1,200.

We also spoke with one fellow who wanted to pressure-wash the roof (not recommended), and another who wanted to install copper or zinc strips without washing first. While using the strips would provide a long-lasting solution to the algae problem, the $1,500 price seemed way too high.

In the end, we found a roof-shampooing franchise operation, which quoted us a price of $350. We agreed to the price this past Monday evening, and the work was done two days later. (The cleaned roof is shown, right.) The company even threw in cleaning the siding of the two front dormers and gave a one-year warranty on the work.—Ed Perratore | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: If you need a new roof, read our latest report on roofing materials and find the best product for your home in the ratings (available to subscribers).

Looking at the future of the energy-efficient home at the 2009 Solar Decathlon

Mother Nature didn't make it easy for the teams that took part in 2009 Solar Decathlon, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The homes designed and built by 20 college and university teams were put through the weather wringer during the final days of the event last weekend, with cold, rainy, overcast weather prevailing—not exactly ideal conditions for solar-powered homes.

The homes in the 2009 Solar Decathlon were judged on 10 characteristics, including architecture, comfort, lighting, appliances, hot water, home entertainment, and market viability, or how easy and affordable the home is to build. Readily available products used in the houses include compact fluorescent lightbulbs and LED lighting, induction cooktops, front-loading washing machines, energy-efficient windows, bamboo flooring, and low-VOC paint.

Team Germany took first prize in the fourth installment of this competition (see its home in the video above) earning 908.29 points out of a possible 1,000, followed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Team California with 863.08 points. See the complete final standings.

With umbrella in hand and galoshes on feet, I checked out the future of the energy-efficient home. (You can avoid any inclement weather by visiting the 20 projects via a virtual tour.)

While the competition calls for uniformity in overall size—houses can be no larger than 800 square feet—the first thing I noticed was how different the houses looked from one another. With teams from throughout the U.S. as well as Canada, German, Puerto Rico, and Spain, each featured a design unique to its climate and region.

U.S. Green Building Council revamps LEED certification

When it comes to buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program, newer generally means greener.

In fact, a federal building in Youngstown, Ohio, that had received LEED certification and is adorned with the LEED plaque would no longer qualify under the program's latest standards, according to this recent article in The New York Times.

LEED certification requirements have become more rigorous for commercial buildings since the inception of the program, particularly for energy- and water-use requirements. "The [LEED] plaque should be installed with removable screws. Once the plaque is glued on, there's no incentive to do better," Henry Gifford, an energy consultant in New York City, told The Times.

Another big shift in LEED has to do with differences in how much energy and water some certified buildings actually use compared with what they were designed to use. The USGBC is taking steps to address that issue.

Under the latest version of LEED, building owners are now required to report actual energy and water use information to the USGBC. The USGBC recently announced it will begin collecting this data for all certified buildings, regardless of when they were built. However, since participation in that effort is only voluntary, just how much data is reported, and whether it will actually lead to efficiency improvements in older LEED-certified buildings, has yet to be determined.—Kristi Wiedemann | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Read "Taking the 'LEED' on Green Home Building" for details on the LEED for Homes program.

Chinese-made drywall not a radiation risk, says CPSC

As we've reported in "By the Numbers: Chinese-Drywall Problems Spread Beyond Florida," "Problems With Chinese-Made Drywall Include Health Issues," and "Latest News on Chinese Drywall"—some significant issues have arisen with drywall made in China.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that it has received almost 1,200 reports from people in 24 states and the District of Columbia "who believe their health symptoms or the corrosion of certain metal components in their homes are related to the presence of drywall produced in China." The photo shows copper coils on an air conditioner that were apparently blackened and corroded by drywall.

Among the health concerns was the possible radiation risk posed by Chinese-made drywall, but as you'll read in "Report: Drywall From China Does Not Pose a Radiation Risk," on the Consumer Reports Safety blog, federal and state agencies have found no radiation safety risk to families living in affected homes.

If you're concerned about the drywall in your home, visit the CPSC's Drywall Information Center and subscribe to our Safety blog to stay up to date on the latest news about Chinese drywall. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

DIY or die? Building bust forces toolmaker to target homeowners

There's been some good news of late for the  housing industry, including a 7.2 percent  increase in existing-home sales for July, the fourth consecutive month of positive sales. But manufacturers that support the construction industry are still feeling pinched.

Bobcat Company, which makes light-construction equipment, announced this week that it will be closing its Bismarck, North Dakota plant; 475 jobs hang in the balance as the company juggles positions at a neighboring plant. "We are facing a huge economic challenge and we need to adapt,"  said Rich Goldsbury, president of Bobcat Americas.

To avoid downsizing, other companies are highlighting existing models or developing new ones that appeal to a wider market. That can be a boon for you. In our ongoing tests of cordless drills, we're seeing some major brands emphasize products for the homeowner market. Porter-Cable, for example, has been known for heavy-duty—and often hefty-priced—power tools. But its new 18-volt PC180DK-2 drill costs just $100. Better yet, it's holding its own in our drilling-speed and torque tests.

While Porter-Cable is not abandoning the contractor market, Frank Andrew, director of marketing, wrote in an e-mail that "the Porter-Cable line is designed to serve [a] crossover segment: pro users or DIYers who want performance for tough jobs, but cannot justify the expense of industrial-grade tools."

Whatever you call it, a power tool that delivers pro performance at consumer-friendly prices is a good thing in our book. Watch the video above to learn about drills that provide heavy-duty performance at  lower prices (ratings available to subscribers).—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Look for our latest report on cordless drills in the November 2009 issue of Consumer Reports, online and on newsstands in October.

Buzzword: Reburbia

What it means. Reburbia is the name of the design competition in which sponsors Dwell magazine and Inhabitat.com asked "future-forward architects, urban designers, renegade planners, and imaginative engineers" to reimagine cookie-cutter suburban communities like those we covered in our Buzzword on boomburg/boomburg.

Here's how the folks in charge described the goals of the competition:

"In a future where limited natural resources will force us to find better solutions for density and efficiency, what will become of the cul-de-sacs, cookie-cutter tract houses and generic strip malls that have long upheld the diffuse infrastructure of suburbia? How can we redirect these existing spaces to promote sustainability, walkability, and community? It's a problem that demands a visionary design solution and we want you to create the vision!"

Why the buzz? The Reburbia competition kicked off on July 8, with participants submitting entries through the end of last month. After judging, 20 finalists were selected, and the public had until August 17 to vote online for their favorite entry.

Among the concepts were the Miller|Hull Partnership's plan to turn a strip mall into a soilless farm, Forrest Fulton's concept of converting big-box stores into greenhouses and restaurants, and Alexandros Tsolakis and Irene Shamma's idea for "airbia," a way to link suburbs and city centers.

The grand-prize winner was announced today. Calvin Chiu will receive $1,000 for his vision of converting a McMansion into a biofilter water-treatment plant (shown).

"I love [Chiu's] trans-species approach, the acceptance of certain economically obvious shifts that are occurring already in many a recently constructed suburb, and the hydrological inventiveness. It's poetic, not practical ­, and that's exactly why this project is positive evidence of how we might really rethink suburbia," said Geoff Manaugh, a Reburbia judge and the author of BLDGBLOG.

Chiu's concept will be featured in the December issue of Dwell.—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Learn more about the leading edge in planning and home design by reading "Buzzword: Rightsizing" and our 10 Questions for . . . interviews with architect Marianne Cusato and architect Sarah Susanka.

Latest news on Chinese drywall: Problem spreads nationwide, fire concerns arise

Investigations into problems associated with drywall made in China are continuing and, according to this new post on the Consumer Reports Safety blog, "two fires are being investigated by the [U.S.] Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Florida State Fire Marshal's Office to see if toxic drywall contributed to the blazes."

As we reported earlier this year, problems related to Chinese drywall have spread beyond the Sunshine State, and those issues are not limited to damage to electrical components.

Indeed, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that it has received more than 600 reports from people in 21 states and the District of Columbia who feel the health problems they have or the damage to metal components in their homes are related to drywall made in China. (The map shows affected states.)

Check out the CPSC's Drywall Information Center for the latest news on Chinese Drywall and visit the Consumer Reports Safety blog for more expert safety advice. e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Visit the recently updated Kitchen-Planning Guide when you're remodeling your kitchen.

CPSC announces recall of ABTCo., Veranda, and WeatherBest composite decking and railings

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced the recall of 48 million linear feet of ABTCo., Veranda, and WeatherBest composite decking and railings. The materials, made by Nashville-based Louisiana-Pacific, can prematurely deteriorate and break (see photo), posing a serious risk to anyone on a deck made of the recalled decking and railings.

To date, Louisiana-Pacific has received reports that 37 decks have broken, causing 14 injuries that include a broken wrist, a sprained ankle, and minor lacerations and bruises.

The recalled products were sold at the Home Depot and building-product dealers nationwide from January 2005 to August 2008. Colors include Tuscan Walnut/Chestnut, Driftwood Grey/Greystone, Pacific Cedar, and Western Redwood. Veranda is made by several companies; only Louisiana-Pacific-made Veranda has been recalled.

If you own a deck made of the recalled materials, contact the manufacturer for a free inspection; call 888-325-1184 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. If your decking has prematurely deteriorated, Louisiana-Pacific will arrange for free replacement. (To determine whether your decking is subject to the recall, look for tags or stamps at the end of boards. Your invoice can also help the manufacturer's customer-service reps identify the product you own.)

For more details on the recall, go to the CPSC's recall page or the manufacturer's Web site. e-mail | Twitter

Essential information: Veranda was one of the materials covered in our last report on decking. Read the story for more information on choosing a decking product and advice on deck-construction safety.

By the Numbers: More U.S. homeowners drowning with underwater loans

8.3 million

Number of U.S. homeowners with mortgages whose homes are worth less than their loans, according to an analysis by First American CoreLogic that was reported on by CNN. The number means that about 20 percent of mortgages are underwater.

Eight percent of all mortgages are delinquent, and 6,600 homes go into foreclosure each day, says the Center for Responsible Lending; foreclosures could total 8.1 million by 2012. Some banks suspended foreclosures, but the moratoriums are set to expire this month.

Essential information: A variety of scammers and foreclosure vultures are targeting distressed homeowners, while foreclosure auctions are front-page news. You'll find advice for dealing with mortgage problems at Defend Your Dollars.org. If you don't need a life vest and instead want to invest, see our tips for buying foreclosed property and choosing a home inspector.

By the Numbers: Paint sales defy the downturn, says Home Improvement Research Institute

$12.5 billion

Amount of paint that Americans will be buy in 2010, according to a report
commissioned by the Home Improvement Research Institute and covered in
Home Channel News. The figure represents a 12.9 percent gain from 2008, when
sales of paints and preservatives totaled $11 billion. Sales in 2009 sales are pegged to rise by 2.9 percent, says HIRI. Based on these numbers, paint is showing signs of bucking the recession trend.

Retailers are reporting a shift from neutral off-white colors and earth tones that won't put off prospective home buyers to more active, vibrant colors for homeowners who want to personalize their living spaces. Perhaps that's why Pantone, the Carlstadt, New Jersey-based company that provides color standards for design industries, named Mimosa (swatch shown) its color of the year for 2009, succeeding Blue Iris and Chili Pepper.

Essential information: See our March 2009 report on interior paints.